Go Ye into the World…

Monthly Archives: February 2015

The Writing Center of Messiah College is now open for the spring semester! The hours are as follows:

Mondays and Wednesdays: 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and 2:00-9:00 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and 2:00-9:00 p.m.
(The Writing Center is closed each Monday from 5:00-6:00 for staff meeting.)

Stop by to use this free campus resource to improve your academic writing assignments. You can bring a paper at any stage in the writing process—even when it’s just an idea! Make an appointment on MCSquare as far in advance as possible, as slots are expected to book up very quickly this semester. Be sure to print off your paper before coming as it makes it easier for everybody! Visit The Writing Center online here.

Don’t forget about a wonderful (and free!) resource on campus: The Learning Center.

This spring 2015 semester, qualified tutors are available Monday through Thursday, 3:00-10:00 p.m., to provide assistance in a wide variety of subject areas. Please, make sure to take advantage of this valuable resource. Click here for a detail listing of subjects and tutors for this semester.

For more information or to schedule a session, visit The Learning Center’s webpage here.

International Student Programs will hold an information session on Optional Practical Training (OPT) for current F-1 visa students on Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 5 to 6 p.m. in Larsen 237. The purpose of OPT is to allow international students the opportunity to obtain part- or full-time work authorization for 12 months in a position directly related to a student’s major area of study. If you are considering OPT and are interested in learning more about how to apply, you should attend this session.

The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that you submit tax returns by April 15 each year (city and state tax offices generally use this same deadline).

To assist international students in filing their returns, accounting students from the Department of Management and Business at Messiah College offer free tax preparation services as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Services are provided every Tuesday evening from 5:30–7:30 p.m. in Frey 156 beginning February 3 and ending on April 15. It will be closed on March 17 for spring break. Click here for more details.

All international students with an F-1 visa who receive any sort of income, including tuition reduction, scholarships, fellowships, grants, salaries, wages, stipends, interest, dividends, etc., from U.S. sources are also required to file income tax returns with federal, state, and city governments.

When filing tax returns, ensure that you …

Report all U.S. source income for the entire previous year (January 1 to December 31)

Calculate how much tax is owed on that income

At each of the three levels of government (local, state, federal), if you are owed money, request it. If you owe money, pay it. (Most internationals will either owe nothing or are owed money).

Please note that neither International Student Programs nor any other office at Messiah College can offer specific tax advice. It is your own responsibility to understand your tax obligations. Tax regulations can be very confusing, particularly for international students. Therefore, you should only rely on someone with proper training to assist you in filing.